RIYADH, June 1 (KUNA) -- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) threw its weight on Wednesday behind mediation efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict, emphasizing that such measures should fall in line with international laws and principles.
These efforts should comply with the principle of sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of countries, which encapsulate the GCC's stance towards the Russia-Ukraine conflict, according to a final communique drawn up after Gulf Arab foreign ministerial-level talks in the Saudi capital.
The talks underlined the importance of a ceasefire and subsequent dialogue as part of mediation efforts aiming to carve out a political path out of the conflict, citing the need to get more than 22 million tonnes of grain still stuck in Ukraine out to world markets, which has triggered a fledgling food crisis.
The GCC reiterated its support for referring the issue of missing Kuwaiti prisoners of war (POWs) during the 1990-91 Gulf War to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), saying it looked forward to more cooperation from Baghdad in order to bring closure to the matter.
On the fight against terrorism, the bloc expressed its utter rejection of all forms of the scourge, saying it backs all regional and international efforts to exterminate terrorist and extremist groups, citing Yemen's Houthi group as a case in point.
Addressing Gulf Arab ties with Iran, the GCC said it is committed to established United Nations principles and conventions on international relations, calling on Tehran to change its behavior that often imperils regional stability.
On a number of conflict-hit countries around the region, including Yemen, Syria, Libya and Sudan, the ministers agreed that commitments to national interests and maximum restraint are the only solutions to stifle the unrest. (Pick up previous) mdm.nam